Team Gracyn Maeham

            I have mentioned in previous blog entries that my sweet granddaughter Gracyn Mae has muscular dystrophy. She was diagnosed with this progressive disease in August of 2017.
            On May 5, 2018 our family and friends participated in the Muscle Walk and raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Gracyn’s team (Gracyn Mayhem) was one of the higher producing teams and raised a significant amount of money for the cause.
            This year the Muscle Walk was held on May 4that the same location - Miller Landing in Omaha. The landing is on the Missouri River just south of the airport. It is a lovely area with lots of green space, a pond, picnic shelters, bathrooms and easily accessible walking trails. 
            This year we designed a team t-shirt – something we hadn’t thought to do in 2018.  Gracyn wanted a fierce tiger and she wanted the colors to be blue, pink and white. I drew the fierce, stare you down tiger, and the designer at the print shop added the copy in a very fierce font.  
​            We changed the name of the team from “Gracyn Mayhem” to “Gracyn Maehem” – to match the spelling in her middle name. (Mae was my mother’s middle name and I was so pleased that Sara chose to honor my mother and her grandmother by using the same middle name for Gracyn – so we just had to change the spelling.)
            The team looked great in our blue, pink and white fierce t-shirts!  And team “Gracyn Maehem” was again designated as one of the higher producing teams – hooray for us!  Now our goal in 2020 is to get more walkers.  
            The funds raised during the walk helps to fund the summer camps for kids who have muscular dystrophy. Gracyn is too young to go to camp now but someday she may want to participate and through these types of fundraising events, she will have that opportunity.  
            Funds are also used for research to find a cure. Each year there are speakers who share their stories concerning muscular dystrophy. This year a mother told the story of her young son and the diagnosis of Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. The child had been selected to participate in a clinical trial and the results were promising. The father had taken the child to Chicago for weekly infusions. The story brought a tear to my eye and hope to my heart.  
            A young woman who spoke last year, spoke again this year and announced that she had graduated from college. She thanked those in her support group – the people who have loved her and helped her reach her goals. She read a poem and inspired all in attendance. Again – a tear in my eye and more hope for my heart.
            ​I took some pictures of the people who love Gracyn the most. Her parents – her brothers – her grandparents – her aunts – her cousins – and some very close friends. If you are reading this, I hope you will consider joining our team in 2020 and help these kiddos go to camp and continue the work of finding a cure for this relentless disease.